Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 22, 1992 TAG: 9202220402
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
NEPOTISM CRITIC TAKES SOME HEAT
Bill Senter had braced himself for a backlash when the Roanoke Times & World-News published his letter this week that took issue with what he contends is nepotism in Salem government and school system hiring.But he expected nothing like the reaction that has jangled his telephone off the hook for five days straight.
The calls are frequent - some supportive, some less so. One was threatening.
Letters dribble in, unsigned. One, written not to him but to the editor of the Salem Times-Register, simply suggested that he get out of town.
In Salem's close-knit community, Senter's attempt to shake the city's power structure has rattled a few nerves.
People have criticized the timing of his comments, which also were the subject of a news story. The next City Council election is just three months away, with three incumbents - Mayor Jim Taliaferro and Councilmen Alex Brown and Howard Packett - running for re-election.
Taliaferro and Brown are the targets of Senter's claims of nepotism. Taliaferro's wife is employed at the Salem school administrative offices. His son works in the city planning department. Brown's wife and mother teach in city schools.
None of the situations is illegal nor do they present a conflict of interest, the city attorney said earlier.
Some say Senter has an ax to grind because he lost the 1988 council election to the same three incumbents. He dismisses those claims.
"In order to have all the facts to make educated decisions and take proper action, there must be total communication," Senter said. "And only an enlightened electorate will be able to do the proper job. I encourage anyone who can contribute to a healthy dialogue to come forward and be heard or you'll always regret it."
Some callers have asked him to run for City Council again, to which he promptly has said "No."
"It's only healthy to consider all opinions and possible actions to be taken," he said. "I do love Salem, contrary to those who think I'm picking it apart. But good citizens get active and discuss the facts even though they might be somewhat distasteful."
One person who called Senter demanded that he apologize to the city. Another said he was "going to get mine." Yet another told Senter that he and his family didn't belong in Salem.
"I don't think it's fair to my family to ask them to get out of town," he said. "I think people have the right to say anything they think. You still want to feel like you can live in a community in harmony and mutual respect."
But some argue that Senter's methods breed exactly the opposite.
"Things like this don't happen often in Salem," Packett said. "When they do, they make a mountain out of a molehill."